In an exclusive article for Manorama Yearbook 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore India’s national character for the entire world to behold and 2020 will be known as a year of internal discovery rather than of external disruption. 

“Wrote for the Manorama Yearbook, which is widely read across India, on the year just gone by and the quest towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” PM Modi wrote on Twitter and shared the article.

The article was applauded by netizens. Within a few minutes, it was retweeted and liked by thousands on social media. 

The article highlights the silver linings amid the pandemic and PM says there will be a greater focus on self-reliance and resilience in technology in 2021. “The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the ability of technology to be a valuable bridge. From multi-nation summits to multinational companies, everyone’s work had to go online. Despite the pandemic-induced disruption, it was the technological platform laid assiduously in the form of JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile) trinity that helped the government reach the poorest of the poor with direct financial assistance worth lakhs of crores of rupees when even developed nations were struggling with archaic IT systems,” he said. 

Modi also mentioned about the focus on Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. “An Aatmanirbhar Bharat means an India which is more competitive, an India which is more productive and an India which celebrates local talent. An Aatmanirbhar Bharat will increase India’s role in global supply chains by attracting more global businesses to India to take full advantage of India’s policy stability, low taxes and skilled human resources,” the PM said.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store